Creative Chemistry: Rémy Clemente

ADC Design Jury Member uses the scientific method

The ADC 96th Annual Awards Design discipline features perhaps the most eclectic group of jury members in the whole ADC/One Show universe. Calligraphers who toil in ink judge right alongside renowned photographers and pixel magicians in order to honor an equally diverse collection of show-stopping design entries.

We’ve been catching a few moments between judging sessions to chat with the various jury members who will ultimately choose the most Cube-worthy work of the past year.

I was a very curious kid, drawing all the time, but I also had a passion for science, especially chemistry and other physical sciences. I graduated from a scientific school in France, but afterwards I had to decide whether I should pursue a career as an engineer, or perhaps choose to follow a more artistic path. Of course I ended up picking the latter!

What were your thoughts going into the judging for the ADC Annual Awards?

Much of what I know about ADC comes from my work partner Ben Sandler, who is an ADC Young Guns 12 winner. Through him I have come to appreciate the level of craft and quality that ADC stands for. It’s very different from many of the shows I’ve seen in Europe.

You still have that scientific background. How do you bring that method into your design work?

Well science requires you to be able to replicate results, and therefore you must have a real dedication to process and organization, and I feel that helps me with my creative endeavors. I’m also very open to new technologies, and love to bring them into my work. At Bonsoir Paris we’ve created a technology lab that even experiments with robotics. That’s very different for a design studio, but it’s a perfect place for our passions to intersect.

For everyone who is hoping to win an ADC Cube, is there a scientific formula to impress you and the other jury members?

(laughs) I’m going to have to say that it’s contemporary skills plus traditional sensibilities equals great work. I believe that a lot of the work we’ve seen demonstrates the former. People are very adept at using the latest software, but they might not have a big idea or a sense of style. Work that marries both sides of the ‘scientific’ equation stand to do well here.

The 2017 One Show and ADC 96th Annual Awards will be presented during Creative Week, May 8–12, 2017.